ISLAND LAKE — Since 1999, at least one Island Lake property owner has been battling Kitsap County officials over the water levels in the lake that have negatively impacted his property.

Teri Hewson, who lives on Lake Shore Drive, claims the lake’s drainage system isn’t working properly. As a result, his property is flooded every time it rains.

The problem centers around outlet pipes, which don’t allow enough water to be released from the lake during major rainstorms, Hewson said.

Even though he raised his bulkhead three inches during the summer of 2005, subsequent rains have resulted in continued flooding of his basement, he said.

Despite attempting to work with the county to resolve the issue, Hewson said he has received little, if any, response from its officials.

“That’s why I came to you,” Hewson told the North Kitsap Herald.

In response to Hewson’s claim that if the lake’s water level were lowered, the flooding problems would be remedied, county public works employee Dave Dickson said there is more involved than just the perceived flooding of private property.

“Lake outfall capacity could certainly be increased by installing more or different infrastructure, but environmental, property and regulatory issues would all have to be resolved along with issues related to financing of project design, permitting and construction,” Dickson said.

The Island Lake outfall system is located on private property and is privately maintained, but the outfall valve is operated by Silverdale Water, he said.

The operations agreement stems from the mid- to late-1980s when the lake’s water levels declined 14 to 15 feet, he said.

“Low lake levels raised concerns about overdrafting of the aquifer to supply potable water and other impacts associated with land development in the area,” Dickson said.

The agreement was necessary in order to obtain water rights from the Department of Ecology to install a well to augment the lake levels during drier years with the goal of maintaining a minimum elevation of 215 to 216 feet.

“Kitsap County Public Works staff have reviewed the operation of the system periodically and it appears that the system is being operated in accordance with the agreement,” Dickson said. “Since 1998, Crista and Silverdale Water, at the county’s request, have opened the outfall valve 0.5 feet below the elevation contained in the agreement in an effort to address citizen concerns related to high winter lake levels,” he said.

In response to Hewson’s allegations that the high water levels could impact the lake’s water quality, Dickson said the matter has been previously explored.

“The issue of lake water quality being affected by high water was looked into several years ago by the Kitsap County Health District at the request of Kitsap County Public Works,” Dickson said.

The samples during that period were low in bacteria and did not appear to indicate septic related problems, he said.

“That being said, it is my understanding that the health district is proposing to do additional lake monitoring as part of the Barker Creek pollution identification and correction project this winter,” Dickson said.